Anne Chambers and Enda O'Coineen, Chairman of the Atlantic Youth Trust, on the arrival of the new youth sail-training ship 'The Grace O'Malley' into Dublin Port.

There is no charge for attendance, but please reserve a place at: shop.westporthouse.ie 

Grace O’Malley (1530-1603), “the Pirate Queen”, is one of the most important figures in Irish history and a source of great national pride. Her many exploits are both legendary and inspirational, with successive generations of people worldwide becoming enthralled with her life history and its legacy. Grace’s biographer, Anne Chambers, describes her as

“an accomplished mariner, a fearless leader, by land and by sea, a shrewd political tactician, a successful independent business woman, a ruthless plunderer, a mercenary, a rebel, the protective matriarch of her family and her tribe and – above all else – a woman who broke the mould and refused to allow the barriers placed in her path, either by society or by nature, to deter her from her quest”.

The O’Malley Clan Association is conducting research into Grace’s genetic heritage, in a bid to identify the genetic signature of her immediate forbears. We hope that soon, O’Malleys from all over the world will be able to find out how closely they may be related to her. In so doing, we aim to highlight the importance of genetic heritage, attract the O’Malley diaspora to their ancestral home and draw further attention to the incredible human being that was Grace O’Malley.
On Saturday, 13th August, Dr Maurice Gleeson, a leading genetic genealogist, will present the findings (so far) of this ground-breaking project. He will explain how multiple O’Malleys have combined their historical connections to Grace with DNA analysis to reveal the complex story of O’Malley descent. He will be joined by Anne Chambers, biographer of Grace O’Malley, who will talk about the O’Malley Clan into which Grace was born and how they interacted with the other leading families of the time. The panel discussion, chaired by Newport local historian, Peter Mullowney, will bring together the project, the woman and her impact on Mayo, Ireland and the world.
There is no charge for attendance, but please reserve a place at: shop.westporthouse.ie

On the 2nd of March 2022,  the filmed version of the stage play 'MATRIARCHS: The Pirate Queen and the Virgin Queen' by ANNE CHAMBERS will be streamed at 6.30 pm GMT for the Women's History Month at the Royal Museums Greenwich.

The event will be preceded by a live interview with author ANNE CHAMBERS.

For further information: https://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/online/matriarchs

Following in the footsteps of Grace O'Malley to Ormond Castle in Carrick-on-suir, home of Thomas (Black Tom) 10th Earl of Ormond (1531-1614 )

There in April 1593, Grace came to obtain a letter of introduction from the powerful Earl to the Queen's Secretary of State, William Cecil (Lord Burghley) which paved the way for her famous meeting with Elizabeth at Greenwich Palace later in July 1593.

What a wonderfully preserved historic building. Congratulations to the OPW and to their on-site staff.